Whitlock: Seeds have been planted for a QB controversy

[Tribal Warfare]

Seeds have been planted for a QB controversy
JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY

You don’t need a legitimate backup to manufacture a quarterback controversy.

What you need is an overpriced starter, a reckless head coach, a frustrated fan base and bored, ratings-starved journalists and broadcasters.

Without question, the necessary ingredients are in play in Kansas City.

OK, Matt Cassel, The Sixty Million Dollar Man, is the Chiefs’ unquestioned starting quarterback. First-time head coach Todd Haley might be disappointed by Cassel’s training-camp play, but Cassel and his bionic contract will take the opening snap on opening day.

Brodie Croyle is not going to beat out The Sixty Million Dollar Man. Haley’s lip-flapping about all positions being competitive is just that — meaningless lip-flapping.

That does not mean we won’t be treated to a quarterback controversy.

The seeds have been planted, and they can take root tonight when the Chiefs take on the Minnesota Vikings in KC’s second preseason game.

Thanks to Haley’s immature decision to play Kansas City’s best offensive player, receiver Dwayne Bowe, with the second unit last weekend, the door has been opened for reporters, fans and players to wonder about The Sixty Million Dollar Man.

Haley followed up Cassel’s mediocre performance against the Texans by acknowledging that Cassel has done nothing to distinguish himself from the Chiefs’ injury-prone, winless former quarterback of the future, Brodie Croyle.

You can call me a pot-stirrer, but Haley brought the pot from the pantry and placed it on the stove. Forgive me for reaching to turn the fire on.

We can put the pot away if Cassel puts together a decent showing tonight against one of the league’s top defenses.

Oh, boy. Cassel’s first important game in a Chiefs uniform is at the Metrodome on Brett Favre Night, featuring Jared Allen, The Williams Wall and Vikings fans believing tonight is the launching of their Super Bowl bandwagon.

Oh, boy. Quarterback controversies start out tiny, build a life of their own and become these all-encompassing, massive, uncontrollable snowballs.

It’s tiny right now. All it will take is a tiny nudge to get this thing really rolling.

I can’t for the life of me understand why Haley sent The Sixty Million Dollar Man out into Arrowhead Stadium without his best weapon. It was foolish.

Did ABC ever send Steve Austin out on camera without his bionic right arm and left eye? If the network had, the show would’ve been called The Two Million Dollar Man.

Matt Cassel without a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver is a career backup. What we might learn this season is that Matt Cassel without Randy Moss and Wes Welker is a career backup.

We’ll have a little bit more information after tonight’s game. We might get an early indication on whether The Sixty Million Dollar Man is overpriced.

If he is, that’s a strike against Scott Pioli, not Todd Haley. Pioli masterminded the Cassel acquisition.

Last week, when Bowe made Brodie Croyle look like a competent NFL quarterback, I wondered what Pioli thought of Bowe’s use. More than likely, Pioli agreed with Haley’s get-tough policy with Bowe.

But there’s a chance Pioli was most interested in how Bowe’s use influenced the play of the quarterback Pioli sweet-talked Clark Hunt into giving $30 million in guarantees.

Football teams operate like every other business. The people in charge largely do what’s in their own best interest. If they hire someone and their credibility is attached to the new hire’s success, then they’ll do whatever is ethical or unethical to see that their new hire shines.

If it would help Cassel, Pioli would spring O.J. Simpson from the joint and line him up 7 yards deep. It’s hard for me to believe that Pioli thinks Bowe’s practice habits are so poor that the only way to get him to perform is demote him to third team, especially when The Sixty Million Dollar Man is stuck throwing to Terrance Copper.

Cassel doesn’t need to post big numbers tonight. He just has to sustain a drive or two, put a couple of field goals on the board. The Minnesota defense is really good. And the Metrodome is going to be electric with Favre in the house.

[wild1]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Drew Bledsoe.

I think there may be a bit of dissimilarity between Brodie Croyle and Tom Brady.

[LaChapelle]

Wouldn't the 6 million dollar man be Croyle? He's been broke and fixed, broke and fixed, broke and fixed again. And he's got Farrah.

-sloppy work

[Al Czervik]

Classic Shitlock...

Yes....Lets blame the coach for Bowe's pathetic work ethic....
Always gotta sprinkle in some perceived racism....Just wouldnt be
a Jason article without it....

JW, Get over your mancrush on Bowe.....its embarrassing!

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Whitlock is 100% correct. Seeds of a QB controversy were planted. Didn't Babb post something on his twitter account about Croyle possibly pushing Cassel out of a starting job? Williamson of ESPN wrote that Cassel struggled in preseason. Even though all of those reports are unwarranted they did start circulating and getting some press and got people talking. There were people on this board who were saying similar things, although some of it was TIC.

Even though it is stupid to say there is a controversy, talk about a controversy has begun and it will certainly get a lot worse if Cassel puts up bad numbers tonight (whether it's his fault or some moronic coaching decision to play Bowe with the #2 unit) and Croyle performs like he did last week.

Fail. The seeds may have been planted but planted by the media not by Haley and the team which is what Whitlock is saying. He is bashing the current regime over the perceived controversy. Had Babb not made some wild speculation on twitter none of this even would be discussed. They are trying to create the news rather than report it. That's not good journalism.

[RedThat]

Wow...i can't believe Whitlock sometimes.

This guy has to be the most controversial columnist I've ever seen.

He writes his articles strictly based off what happens in the present moment. Most of his judgements are based in the present moment and are usually negative.

Cassel only threw 5 passes. Count'em 5 FATBOY! He played with Darling, and Copper while he was in. Croyle played better yes, and played more w/ D Bowe.

All of a sudden we have a QB controversy, and Cassel is a career backup? Oh my gosh throw in the towel! its over folks. its over. gimme a break.

[MOhillbilly]

That was a snipe hunt of an article.

[Molitoth]

I usually agree with jwhit, but this article is downright terrible.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Fail. The seeds may have been planted but planted by the media not by Haley and the team which is what Whitlock is saying. He is bashing the current regime over the perceived controversy. Had Babb not made some wild speculation on twitter none of this even would be discussed. They are trying to create the news rather than report it. That's not good journalism.

The seeds were planted:

a. When Cassel was first signed and some people said he's nothing but a backup without Moss and Welker;
b. When Cassel had an up and down camp;
c. When Haley decided to run Bowe with the 2nd and 3rd string in the first preseason game.

If Cassel and the rest of the first string play the entire first half and don't put any points on the board, you can bet the QB controversy will gain 10x the momentum it has now.

[Mr. Arrowhead]

Its hard for Cassel to get into any kind of rhythm when his WR keep dropping passes on 3rd down.

[Dayze]

Ok…I can’t take it.
I can usually read what I believe to be ‘dumb’ comments regarding Cassel/QB Controversy etc and move on fairly quickly with no irritation.

However, when someone at work is talking about this, it irritates me to no end.

The ‘suspect’ – a fat little know it all who reads/listens to anything and everything simply to ‘chime in’ – was telling another co-worker “So, did you hear? Cassel is probably losing his starting job”?

I immediately made my way to the break room to get a cup of coffee; and to see if this little troll was a dumb as I have suspected all along.

JFC….5 GD passes were thrown in preseason game one, with no team-specific game plan against the opponent; oh, and the QB just received a $60+M payday. Give me a break. There is no ‘controversy’; there is no ‘open competition’. Period. If Cassel were in year 3 of 5 or something and stinking up the joint…maybe. But not now. Not even close.

Finally – the icing on the cake: he though Thigpen ‘looked’ better than Cassel because “Cassel punched the ball into the endzone”. I reminded him he did that against guys who will probably be out of a job in 2.5 weeks. And, he still scrambled around like crazy; had happy feet; held the ball too long (thus, blocking breaking down; forced scramble).

Sorry. Had to vent. There will be more about this idiot going forward. He’s the type of guy who tunes into radio/internet etc and gets just enough info on the latest happenings to make conversation.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

"Hi! I'm Jason Whitlock! I'm a complete hack who didn't even bother to do research. If I had bothered to do research, I would have discovered Jared Allen ISN'T PLAYING TONIGHT."

First post out. That struck me as I read it as well. No secret Jared won't be lining up tonight.

It's pretty apparent that Jason has a schtick that worked great with Carl Peterson, and he apparently thinks he can transfer it over to Scott Pioli. Bad timing, and bad form. This is a terrible article by an obviously bitter man.

Sorry you're not getting the access you want to the team Jason. Way to turn into a complete hack over it.

[TEX]

You can call me a pot-stirrer, but Haley brought the pot from the pantry and placed it on the stove. Forgive me for reaching to turn the fire on.

Fine Jason, but this time you ate everything inside it and now you're even more full of shit...

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

The seeds were planted:

a. When Cassel was first signed and some people said he's nothing but a backup without Moss and Welker;
b. When Cassel had an up and down camp;
c. When Haley decided to run Bowe with the 2nd and 3rd string in the first preseason game.

If Cassel and the rest of the first string play the entire first half and don't put any points on the board, you can bet the QB controversy will gain 10x the momentum it has now.

What makes a QB controversy, the fans? If that is all it takes then yes we could have a media driven controversy.

How many snaps in practice is Croyle taking with the first team?
Do you think there is one player on that team that is upset Cassel is going into the season as the #1? I bet Croyle isn't bothered by it.

For there to be a controversy there needs to be more than media and a few fans blabbing and it needs to be more fan driven than media driven in my opinion. Oh yea, how about a little team grumbling as well.

[King_Chief_Fan]

Like Athan, I think Whitlock smokes his own exhaust.

[ModSocks]

That was the worst article i've read all off-season. Old fatty got his feelings hurt and now he is doing his best to try to make controversy. ****ing hilarious. He is just determined to try to make things more difficult for Pioli and Haley. **** Off Fatlock.